King's Road - The Rise and Fall of the Hippest Street in the World - Special Edition

By Max Décharné

This special, signed edition of King's Road is limited to 500 copies. It includes an exclusive custom map of the road by illustrator Helen Cann. 

'Razor-sharp history of London's coolest rock route. A towering feat... the threads linking the cultural hotspots and characters are so skilfully woven. Essential for swingers and squares alike.' 8* Classic Rock

‘A gloriously forensic expansion… happily the vanishing art of investigative writing survives in this magnificent tribute now destined to sit with the UK’s great socio-cultural chronicles’ 4**** Kris Needs, Record Collector

The King's Road in Chelsea was at the epicentre of not one, but two worldwide cultural shifts. In the mid-sixties, it became a focal point and shop window for the new ‘swinging’ London, encompassing music, theatre, the visual arts, fashion and much more. It remained at the forefront of developing trends throughout the following decade until it became the breeding-ground for UK punk rock, helping inspire youthful rebellion the world over.

In short, it was the place to be. In the time between the formation of the Rolling Stones and the demise of the Sex Pistols, the King’s Road had the attention of the world. Just how this came to be is a classic rise-and-fall story of satisfaction and sedition, featuring some of the most famous people of the late twentieth century and many of the pivotal moments of the fifties, sixties and seventies.

This revised and expanded edition of King’s Road covers the cultural history of the King’s Road, tracking many key figures who lived or spent time there, from Henry VIII to David Bowie, Margaret Thatcher to Vivienne Westwood, Karl Marx to The Beatles, and Mozart to Mary Quant.

Max Décharné is a writer and musician from London. His other books include Vulgar Tongues, Hardboiled Hollywood, Straight From The Fridge, Dad and A Rocket In My Pocket. He has written about music for MOJO magazine since 1998, and his work has also appeared in the Spectator, the Sunday Times Colour Magazine, the Observer, the Guardian and the TLS, among others.

Max was the drummer in Gallon Drunk, then the singer and principal songwriter with The Flaming Stars. In a long and varied career in the music business, he has recorded many albums and singles, nine John Peel Sessions and played shows all across the USA, Canada, virtually every country in Europe and in Japan.

'In Max Décharné's thoroughly researched and entertaining book, the ghosts of London’s past collide almost on every page.' Louder Than War

'Comprehensive and incredibly entertaining' Loupe Magazine

The standard edition is available here. 

Publication Date: 13.04.2023
ISBN: 9781915841025
Extent: 528 pages
Format: Hardback with Map